Samuel f



(No Model.)

S. F. CLOUSER. RAILWAY SWITCH.

`Patented July 10, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL F. CLOUSER, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NEW YORK CAR SWITCH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFIGA'IIOII- forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,780, dated July 10,1894.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. CLoUsER, of Brooklymin the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specication.'

My invention relates toan improvement in railway switches in which a movable switch rail is arranged to be moved toward and away from one of the track rails by means of operating treadles under the controlof some suitable device connected with the car moving along the track.

A practical embodiment of my invention 1s represented in the accompanying drawings,`

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a track at a point where the switch or switch operating mechanism is located. Fig. 2 1s a horizontal section taken in a plane just beA low the surface,\along the line fr, n: of Fig. 3,

and Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken in the plane transverse to the track along the position indicated by the line y, y of Fig. 1.

The track rails are denoted respectively by A and A and B is the movable switch rail or tongue for directing the car alongthe main or onto the switch track, as may be desired.

The switch operating mechanism is conveniently located within a box C here shown as of oblong rectangular form and provlded at its top with a pair of openings c and c surrounded byupwardly extending rlms c2 and c's for the reception of switch operating treadles D and D'. The downward movement of the treadles D and D' is determined by inwardly and downwardly inclined surfaces c4 at the lower ends of the openings c and c. The treadles D and D are fitted with an easy slidingfitwithintherimsczandc3. Theirdownward movement is arrested as soon as they reach the upper extremity of the inclined surfaces c4 and at the same time the downward in clination of the surfaces c4 and the absence of any abrupt shoulder to limit the movement of the treadles, serve to keep the openings c and c at all times free from any dust, gravel or other foreign substances that may possibly work down between the treadle and the inner face of the rim, since such substance will Application filed January 26, 1894. Serial No. 498.069- (No model.)

straightway slide ed the` inclined surface c4 down into the box out of the way. From the treadles D and D plungers d and d depend, passing through suitable guide sockets E and E', here shown as fixed to the side of the box C. The lower ends of the plungers cl and d are provided with beveled faces d2 and d3 which, as the plungers descend, through slots f and f in a longitudinally sliding bar F, engage respectively the walls at the ends of the slots f and f and thereby crowd the bar F longitudinally in one direction or the other, depending upon which one of the plu 11- gers is depressed.

The sliding bar F is supported in suitable bearings, in thepresent instance in brackets G, G and G2 attached to the bottom of the box C and, at one end the said bar F is connected with one arm I-I of a vibrating lever pivoted, as at h, to a suitable support Within the box C, the opposite arm H of said lever being connected with the under side of the movable switch rail or tongue B. In the present instance I have shown the arm H of the vibrating lever extended up through a small opening c5 in the top of the box C, the lower portion of the movable switch rail or tongue being provided with a iiange of ordinary form, sufficient to substantially cover the top of the opening c5 to prevent the entrance of wai ter or other foreign matter.

For the purpose of causing one of the plungers to move upwardly out of engagement with the bar F simultaneously with the down ward movement of the other plunger, I connect the two plungers by means of a vibrating lever I pivotally secured to a suitable support within the box at t'. The connection of the opposite arms of the lever I with the plungers is given sufficient play to account for the slight arc in which its ends swing.

In operation, suppose the switch to be open and the treadle D lifted, as shown in Fig. 3, with its plunger out of engagement with the sliding bar F. If now, it be desired to close the switch, all that is required will be to depress the treadle D', either by some suitable device attached to the car, or by'horses drawing the car, or it might be done by hand. In so doing, the plungerd will gradually be withswitch rail B into the position shown in dotted lines, while the switch operating mechanism will assume the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. To open the switch will require a simple reversal of the procedure purpose just described, the pressure for such being exerted upon the treadle D.

It will be observed that when the switch is thrown by the above described mechanisrm either into closed or opened position, it will be absolutely locked in that position by the" engagement of the one or the other of the plungerswith the sliding bar Eso far as'the'` strain upon the movable switch rail or tongue is concerned, while at the ksamek time it may be readily operated by pressure upon -thef and inwardly inclined surface in position to treadle which is up.

lf the friction of the plunger with the ,sliding bar F is found in practice 'insufficient to hold the treadles in position during the short interval between the operation of the switch and the entrance of the Wheelonto vor pastl the switch rail, any well known or approved frictional device may be applied to one or 3o more of the movable parts to secure the desired retention of the adjustment.

What I claim s- 1. The combination with a movable switch rail or tongue, of a longitudinally sliding bar connected at one end with 'the switch rail or tongue, guides forholdingthe longitudinally sliding bar against lateral displacement, vertically reciprocating treadles, inclined faced plunger-s ixed to the treadles and extended into position to engage bearings on the longitudinally sliding bar, guards for preventing the plungers from lateral displacement, a vibrating lever connecting the plungers and bearings located above the sliding bar and on opposite sides of theplungers in position to receive the treadles *and limit their downward movement, substantially las set forth.

2. The combination with a vvertically movable treadle and the wall surrounding it'and forming a guide therefor, of a downwardly form a stop for the vdownward movement of the treadle, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL F. CLOUSER. Witnesses:

FREDK. l-IAYNEs, GEORGE BARRY. 

